Final Fantasy X: Apocalypse
by yunalesca78
Summary: The attempt to defeat Yu Yevon has failed, and Seymour has become Sin. Can Dona, Isaaru, and the rest of the survivors find a way to stop Sin before it's too late? All reviews welcome. *Uploaded Chapter 6: Old Rivals*
1. The Death of Hope

Disclaimer: Square Enix owns all. This is not likely to change at any time in the future. Darn.

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Final Fantasy X: Apocalypse

Chapter 1: The Death of Hope

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Hope. Such a small word, a mere four letters, yet it conveys such a powerful emotion. Hope for a better world. Hope for a peaceful, happy life. Hope for a way to end Spira's suffering forever. In the name of hope, unlikely alliances are formed, incredible risks are taken, and the impossible is accomplished. Hope…it is what keeps us alive.

But what happens when hope dies? We hoped to destroy Yu Yevon, but we failed. Spira's hope died with Yunalesca--we were just too naïve, too hopeful,_ to realize it._

* * * *

"Can't we do something to help?!"

"No," Auron said flatly. "This is Yuna's battle. We must not interfere."

"I don't care whose fight it is! I'm gonna go help!" Tidus yelled, charging toward the battlefield.

Sighing, Auron grabbed the boy by the collar and yanked him back. "If we try to intervene now, while the aeons fight, we'll all die. You should know that by now. Be patient, guard your emotions, and _wait._"

"He's right, brudda." Wakka gave Tidus a brotherly slap on the back. "Yu Yevon's hiding behind Yuna's aeons. She's gotta defeat them before we can go in, ya?"

His hand still gripping Tidus' collar, Auron watched Yuna fight. Her abilities as a summoner had long surpassed those of her father; her aeons had become immensely powerful, capable of defeating any foe. Possessed by Yu Yevon's vengeful spirit, the already mighty aeons became virtually unstoppable. Was their story to end here, inside Sin, so close to the final goal?

A collective sigh rose from the group as Anima, the strongest of Yuna's aeons, was absorbed by the hate-filled monster Yu Yevon had become. Yuna stumbled back into Auron's arms, a look of shock on her features, as her guardians raced forward to take on the beast.

"I've failed," she said softly. "Spira is doomed."

"No, it's not!" Rikku shouted--always the optimist, right to the bitter end. "Come on, Yunie! You said you'd find another way, and you did. You can't give up now!" The Al Bhed grabbed her cousin's arm, attempting to drag her toward the battlefield. "Let's kick some butt!"

"You cannot destroy Yu Yevon. Isn't it obvious?"

"Seymour?" Yuna's face went white, her eyes wide with disbelief. "No…it can't be. I sent you--I just _sent_ you…"

"My dear lady, I couldn't possibly leave. Too much unfinished business."

The still-unsent maester made a casual gesture with his hand. Incredibly, Yu Yevon froze in mid-strike, the magical energy it had gathered crackling dangerously in the air. The guardians stared stupidly at the beast, too startled to take action, until Lulu turned to face Seymour.

"I don't know what you're doing here or how you avoided the sending," she said tightly, the beginnings of an Ultima spell forming around her hand, "but I can assure you, you're not going to be here much longer."

Another casual gesture, and Lulu's Ultima spell dissipated. Seymour chuckled at the expression on the black mage's face as she found herself unable to cast another.

"Unsettling, isn't it? You needn't worry; your powers will return soon enough." He smiled benevolently at Yuna, who moved closer to Auron. "Lady Yuna, my proposal is simple: I wish to become your Final Aeon."

Auron stepped in front of the young summoner. "She'll do no such thing."

Seymour released an overly dramatic sigh. "I suppose we'll meet on the Farplane, then."

The maester snapped his fingers, negating whatever spell he had cast on Yu Yevon. Freed from its magically induced paralysis, and exceptionally angry, the monster unleashed its attack. Auron grunted as an explosion of magical power slammed him to the ground, taking only a small amount of comfort in the fact that the entire party had done the same.

"Had enough?" Seymour asked, the saccharine smile still on his face.

"No way," Tidus retorted defiantly. "We're gonna kick Sin's--"

"Oh, you're in no position to 'kick' anything, dear boy. Look around you."

Tidus looked over his shoulder. Kimahri was slashing away with his Spirit Lance, but with little effect, as Yu Yevon continually healed itself. Wakka, afflicted with confusion and blindness, hurled his ball at Lulu and missed; Lulu, likewise confused, sent Onion Knight after Kimahri, and missed. Rikku smacked both of them about the head, clearing up the confusion, but knocking out Wakka in the process. Yuna hovered on the sidelines, casting Esuna and Curaga whenever she could. Watching the scene, Auron had to concede that the odds were in Yu Yevon's favor, except when it was paralyzed; and then they were preoccupied with Seymour. As they were now.

Seymour cast the paralysis spell again, then positioned himself between Yuna and Yu Yevon. Auron snorted derisively as the maester gently stroked the summoner's cheek. _Seduction will get you nowhere, I'm afraid._

"You know what you need to do, and you are more than capable. You must make me your Final Aeon." Sensing her weakening resolve, he leaned in closer, murmuring softly into her ear. "I am offering you my life, Lady Yuna. You have no choice but to take it."

With a violent shudder, Yuna pulled away from Seymour's grip. For a brief moment, it looked as though she might refuse the maester's "offer." Then, taking a deep breath, she addressed the group.

"Everyone…please leave."

A chorus of protests rose from the group, the loudest ones coming, not surprisingly, from Tidus and Rikku. Yuna lifted her hand, silencing all of them; and with tears shining in her eyes, she looked at Tidus.

"It will be all right. There is still hope." She stepped forward and kissed Tidus softly on the cheek. _"Believe."_

And then the world went white.

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While playing the game through a second time, I started to wonder, what if the attempt to kill Yu Yevon failed? What if Seymour somehow escaped being sent (again) and became Sin? The idea wouldn't leave me alone…thus, this AU fic was born.

Don't forget to review on your way out! All reviews are accepted. Flames will be taken home and used for roasting marshmallows. :-)


	2. Regrouping

Yes, there are inconsistencies in the first chapter. That's what makes it AU. :-) Don't worry, everything's there for a reason, and all will be explained…in time. Mwa ha ha!

FFX: Still not mine.

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Final Fantasy X: Apocalypse

Chapter 2: Regrouping

Dona watched from Bevelle, tapping her foot lightly on the ground--an uncharacteristic display of nerves. She scoffed slightly, realizing that she no longer cared how people perceived her. There was far more at stake than one former summoner's pride, of that she was certain.

She hated to admit it, but a _very small_ part of her was actually jealous. A few tiny changes in circumstances, and she might have been the one seeking the Final Aeon, fighting Sin, bringing the Calm. She had been perfectly willing to sacrifice herself and her guardian to do so, more than eager to accept her fate…until the destruction of the Al Bhed Home. Then, she had witnessed the brutality of which the followers of Yevon were capable. She had witnessed the bravery of the Al Bhed people, who had sacrificed their own lives to keep Isaaru and herself alive, while their Home burned to the ground around them. Afterwards, she had given up her pilgrimage, unwilling to devote herself to a religion that allowed entire peoples to be ostracized for holding different beliefs.

But, if the circumstances had been different, would she have done what Yuna was doing? Would she have turned her back on Yevon's teachings and still continued her pilgrimage?

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No, she told herself. _Quite obviously not._

She laughed very softly to herself, amused at the turn her thoughts had taken. History was about to change, and here she was, having her great epiphany…

Her thoughts were rudely interrupted by the sight of the Al Bhed airship soaring away. That didn't bode well; the ship had carried Yuna's party straight into Sin, surely the Al Bhed wouldn't just leave them there…then a great explosion roared through the air, and Sin's shell cracked open.

What happened next nearly caused Dona to faint with horror. Two great beings burst forth from Sin's shell, one overtaking the other, merging into it, _absorbing_ it into itself. Dona moaned and hid her face in her hands. She'd seen the same thing ten years before, when Lord Braska brought the Calm. This, she knew, was a Final Aeon being forced to merge with Sin, and that could only mean one thing. Sin's cycle of death and rebirth would continue, only this time, there would be no way to stop it.

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But I have to try.

"Uh, Lady Dona, are you all right?"

"I'm fine." She took a deep, calming breath; then she spun on her heel and marched away. "We must find Isaaru."

"Isaaru?" Barthello repeated dumbly. "I thought he was--"

"I didn't tell you to think," Dona snapped, more harshly than she intended. "I told you we needed to find Isaaru. Now, are you coming or not?"

"Coming, Lady Dona!"

* * * *

Auron watched with something close to amusement as Tidus reeled back, Cid's fist having met squarely with the boy's jaw.

"Ow!" Tidus yelped, massaging his jaw gently. "Jeez, Cid."

"YOU MISERABLE SON OF A SHOOPUF!" Cid roared, preparing himself to strike again. "You better explain what happened, and you better do it _real quick_, before I--"

An ear-splitting shriek suddenly filled the room. Seven pairs of hands, Auron's included, instantly flew up to cover sensitive ears. The only person who didn't cover her ears was Rikku, the only person present who was capable of such a scream. Seeing that she had everybody's attention, she ceased to scream and commenced to shout.

"Would you both _shut up!_"

The uncharacteristic display of anger from the normally cheerful girl shocked everyone on the bridge into silence. Rikku turned a poisonous glare upon her father.

"Why'd you do that, you big meanie?"

"He got my niece killed, that's why," Cid growled. He stared viciously at Tidus, who had found relative safety behind Kimahri.

"No, he didn't, Vydran! I was there, and it wasn't his fault. It was Seymour!"

"Seymour?" Cid's eyes narrowed. "Thought you guys killed him."

"We did!" Wakka said defensively. "Four times, ya? Yuna finally sent him."

"How could he be responsible for my niece's _suicide mission_ when he's on the Farplane?" Cid thundered.

"He found his way back, obviously." Auron lifted a brow at the confused expression on the others' faces. "I believe it is possible. Think."

"Jyscal," Lulu said quietly. "He walked off the Farplane, handed that sphere to Yuna…"

"Who sent him right back," Tidus finished.

"What do you think would have happened to him if Yuna hadn't sent him back?"

Silence. Then, surprisingly, Kimahri spoke up.

"He become fiend," the Ronso stated gruffly.

"Unless his will was strong enough to keep him here," Auron finished.

Lulu played with her necklaces, her Onion Knight mimicking the motion, identical thoughtful expressions on each face. "Seymour had an obsession with becoming Sin."

"Yeah, there's motivation for you," Tidus muttered, kicking at the floor with his feet.

"But that doesn't explain that whole thing about the Final Aeon," Wakka pointed out. "Lady Yunalesca was the only one who could make that, and she's dead, ya? So how's Seymour gonna become the Final Aeon?"

"Yuna very strong summoner," Kimahri said, his voice a low rumble. "Perhaps she make Final Aeon."

Everybody winced at that, even Brother, whose Spiran was still quite poor. Finally, Cid slapped his hand against the wall.

"There is no way she'd turn that psychopath into the Final Aeon."

"Had there been another option, no, she wouldn't have. Unfortunately, we had no other options." Auron stepped closer to Cid, staring directly into the Al Bhed leader's eyes. "She had two choices. One was to refuse Seymour's demand and let Sin destroy Spira at that very moment. The other was to sacrifice herself, transform Seymour into her Final Aeon, and buy us time."

"Time for what?" Cid snorted derisively. "It's not like we made a plan B."

"Then let's make one!" Tidus shouted, pumping his fist in the air.

"Yeah," Rikku affirmed, copying Tidus' gesture. "That's what Yunie would want, right? So let's make a plan and do it!"

Auron peered at the two teenagers, his brow raised. Knowing Tidus and Rikku, it was possible that they already had the beginnings of a "plan B," as Cid called it, but it was more likely that they were simply running on adrenaline. They were all exhausted, and desperately in need of rest. Auron himself felt a sudden need to collapse into a warm bed and stay there for a long, long time…and he was dead.

"Auron?" Tidus prodded him. "Are you gonna help us think of something, or are you gonna stare at your belly button and contemplate the universe?"

Auron smirked behind his collar. Ten years he'd invested in raising Jecht's son, and the boy still had no respect for his elders.

"We'll discuss our options in the morning," he said at last. "For now, we rest."

With that, he turned and strode off the bridge, heading toward the small cabin the group had been assigned when they first boarded the airship. In the morning, he told himself, they would formulate a plan. When Sin reappeared, they would be prepared, and they would destroy it. They had to…otherwise, there would very possibly be no universe left to contemplate.

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Radical, I know. But I figure, Yuna's smart. If Yunalesca could figure out how to create a mega-aeon, I reckon Yuna could potentially figure it out too.

Thanks to Rin, Refugee, Mugen, Sakura, Noacat, and The Angel of the Lion. Also Seymour Goddess, even though I'm already aware of my plot holes. :-) Thank you all for reviewing. Especially Rin. *basks in the warm glow of a lovely review from an excellent author*

P.S. Don't worry, I won't kill Auron. ^_^


	3. Reunion

Aaaaawwwww. A sweet, tender chapter for those of you who've already endured the pain of the first two chapters--all nineteen of you. *blinks* …Thanks. I love your reviews and appreciate the support!

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Final Fantasy X: Apocalypse

Chapter 3: Reunion

She woke up gradually, lulled by the feel of water swirling across her flesh. A cool breeze swept across her flesh, ruffling her hair across her face. She wanted to stay here forever, with the wind and the waves and the warm, grainy sand beneath her feet…

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Forever?

She sat up with a start, her delicate brows drawn together in confusion. She cast her two-toned gaze across her surroundings, suddenly realizing that she had _no idea_ where she was, or why she was there, or how she had gotten there. The last thing she remembered…

High Summoner Yuna laid her forehead on her knees, her eyes squeezed tightly shut. She remembered Cid flying the airship straight into Sin, the bizarre landscape inside the monster, the storm that caused them to crash, and--

Seymour?

She shuddered, finally remembering the details of that extensively strange journey. They had crossed the Sea of Sorrows, fought Seymour, and braved the Tower of the Dead. They had tried to defeat Yu Yevon, they had tried so hard to bring an eternal Calm, but they had failed. _She_ had failed.

And that was why she was standing here, on the Farplane.

She rose, making a frustrated gesture with her hand. _All right,_ she thought with some annoyance, _I'm on the Farplane. But where? And why aren't there any people here?_

She thought about that for a moment, then shrugged it off, deciding she wasn't concerned. The Farplane was built on the memories and desires of its inhabitants and their visitors. All she needed to do was determine where she wanted to go--or more importantly, _to whom_ she wanted to go--and the Farplane would guide her there. Somehow. She wasn't sure how this worked; she simply knew, somewhere deep in her mind, that it was so. Thus, she found herself walking aimlessly along the beach, carrying her waterlogged boots in her hand, the relaxing atmosphere soothing her frazzled nerves.

After a few minutes of wandering, she began to notice how similar this place was to Besaid, and she couldn't help but smile. She had visited the small, peaceful island with her father when she was very young, before he became a summoner. Apparently, the island and its people had made an impression on her father, because at some point during his pilgrimage he had asked Auron to take her back there after Sin was defeated. She wasn't happy about it at the time, but as the years passed, she had come to think of Besaid and its people as her own. It turned out to be for the best, she now concluded, considering her later relations with the priests in her hometown of Bevelle…

Yuna was so engrossed in her thoughts that she saw neither the small house she was approaching nor the woman coming out of it. The two had a rather violent collision, which left them in a tangled heap on the ground.

"Oh!" Yuna disentangled herself quickly, helping the older woman to her feet. "I'm so sorry! I was thinking, and I wasn't watching where I was going, and I'm really, truly sorry!"

The woman laughed, a throaty, pleasant sound.

"It's quite all right, dear, I'm afraid I'm quite the klutz myself." She paused, eyeing Yuna closely. "Say, what's your name?"

"I am Yuna, daughter of--"

"Braska," the woman finished, a sudden smile lighting up her sun-darkened face. "Braska and Kelanna, is it?"

"Yes," Yuna replied, astonished. "But how--how did you--"

The woman laughed again. "They live just up the road, child. In fact, I think they're waiting for you."

Tossing a hasty thank-you over her shoulder, Yuna charged up the grassy path, her heart filled with a childlike joy. Forgetting the dignity and maturity of her seventeen years, she fell into the arms of her parents with an overjoyed _"Mama! Daddy!"_

And then she burst into tears.

* * * *

"Well," Braska said softly, a small smile playing across his lips. "It seems you had quite the pilgrimage…High Summoner Yuna."

Yuna nearly dropped the cup of herbal tea she'd been holding. Up until then, she had been completely focused on her failure to defeat Yu Yevon. It hadn't even occurred to her that she had, in fact, done what most summoners set out to do: obtain the Final Aeon, defeat Sin, and usher in another decade of Calm. Granted, she'd hardly gone about this in the typical fashion—she was quite certain that she was the only summoner who had ever created her own Final Aeon, other than Lady Yunalesca herself, and she was most definitely the only one to defeat Sin while _inside_ it. But the end result had been the same, hadn't it?

"I suppose I did," she said at last. "But how will other summoners fight Sin? We defeated Lady Yunalesca."

"Yes, that does make things a bit more complicated," her father conceded calmly, "but don't count out those guardians of yours. They're resourceful people, and I doubt they'll be giving up any time soon."

"And," Kelanna added, taking her daughter's hand in hers, "you showed the people of Spira that there are other possibilities. You gave them hope, and that's really all you need, _oac_?"

"Perhaps."

She sat silently for several minutes, a troubled expression clouding her features, before asking the question she hadn't been able to shake from her mind.

"How did Seymour get off the Farplane? Was he even here?"

"He certainly was," Braska replied grimly. "Yuna, you did nothing wrong when you performed that sending. Seymour simply had an obsession, one so strong that he was able to return to the living world, much as his father was."

"Except Jyscal didn't force anyone to turn him into Sin, _so tayn._" Kelanna skipped back toward the kitchen, assaulting Braska's highly ticklish belly on her way past. 

Yuna laughed as her father darted after her mother, wrapping his arms around her waist, placing a gentle kiss on the top of her head while moving his hands stealthily toward her ribs. She squealed with Rikku-like glee as the hands found their target. "Braska! Not in front of the--"

"Hey! What's goin' on here?"

Yuna spun around, stunned and delighted to see _Sir Jecht,_ of all people, standing in the doorway. He was glowering at the trio, his muscular arms crossed over his tattooed chest. Kelanna grinned brightly, Braska gave him a solid clap on the back, and Yuna clapped her hands together in delight. He wasn't nearly as intimidating as he tried to make people think he was.

"Sir Jecht!" she said happily.

"Nice t' see you too, Yuna, but enough with the 'sir' crap. We're all dead here."

Braska nearly choked on his tea. "Jecht! That's not polite."

"Well, it's the truth, ain't it?" He paused, staring hard at Yuna. "Wait a minute. You ain't supposed to be here, kid."

"We weren't able to defeat Yu Yevon," she explained quietly. "I'm sorry."

"Ain't yer fault. Yu Yevon's one tough--" He stopped himself, seeing Braska's eyebrows rise. "Eh. Well, don't worry 'bout it. Yer friends'll find a way to take that wacko down. Now, what's to eat around here?"

Braska and Jecht immediately stampeded toward the spacious kitchen, clearly grateful for the change of topic. Yuna and Kelanna followed them, dissolving into helpless giggles as Jecht wrestled Braska into a headlock and gave him a brotherly noogie, only to have a giant snowball appear out of nowhere and soak him. Kelanna recovered just enough to yell, "You're gonna have to clean that up, you know!"

Yuna smiled. She had plans--oh, yes, she had plans. She knew she couldn't simply stand by and watch while her friends continued her battle. She intended to do everything she could to help them. But now, at this moment, she was home, reunited with the parents she had lost to Sin so long ago, and that was enough…for now.

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See? Tender chapter. I just had to do a reunion scene with Yuna and her parents, considering the amount of death I'm going to have to deal in _The Final Summoning_ (shameless self-promotion, my first ever!). Plus, it sets up some things I might do later.

Thanks to the reviewers: 

Rin,

Refugee, 

FF Fanatic (you have a point, by the way--lol),

Noacat, 

RocketGurl,

star (broken space bar, bummer!),

alnykleo,

Sakura,

Sephira, 

Mugen, aaaaaaand

Any newcomers I may have missed. :-)


	4. Plan B

I still don't own Final Fantasy. Bummer. 

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Final Fantasy X: Apocalypse

Chapter 4: Plan B

Tidus was bored.

He couldn't help it. He was an athlete, for crying out loud. He'd made a living out of intense physical activity. Even on Yuna's pilgrimage, he'd spent most of his time playing blitzball with Wakka or training with Auron (when he wasn't fighting fiends, that is). Sitting still just wasn't something he liked to do. Wasn't in his nature.

He looked around at his friends, who looked as grumpy as he felt. Lulu was holding her Onion Knight possessively, tracing precise patterns in the air with her finger—probably practicing some enormously destructive spell in anticipation of their next meeting with Sin. Wakka was staring glumly out the window, his foot resting on his World Champion. Even Rikku looked less cheery than usual; she was sprawled out in a reclining chair, her feet swinging over the arms, looking as though she might start crying at any moment. Kimahri and Auron were camped out in the corners of the room, not doing much of anything besides glaring at everybody else. They didn't particularly like enclosed spaces, and Rikku's cabin on the airship, when crammed full of extra people, definitely qualified as an enclosed space.

With a sigh, Tidus hopped out of his chair and paced the crowded room. "Anyone think of anything yet?"

"There's nothing we can do until Sin returns, brudda," Wakka observed pessimistically.

"Says who?" Tidus motioned out the window. "Guys, we oughtta be out there, telling people what really happened, and trying to get them to help out."

They all stared at him as if he'd just sprouted an extra head. In a decidedly Jecht-like manner, Tidus folded his arms defiantly across his chest, wondering what he'd done to get stuck with such a bunch of stiffs.

"Look, guys, we can't stay holed up in here while stuff gets freaky out there," he pointed out, exasperated. "We oughtta be out there winning people over, and we haven't even gone out there yet."

"We haven't," Rikku said, "but Father has. He says there's lots of rumors going around about us and Sin and everything."

Lulu looked up sharply. "What rumors?"

"Something about the 'evil' Al Bhed sabotaging the whole plan and everyone on this ship being traitors," Rikku replied matter-of-factly. "Nothing new."

Auron chuckled softly from his dark corner, instantly drawing all attention to himself. _Jeez,_ Tidus wondered, _how does he _do_ that?_

"Let me guess," he said in a tone that suggested amusement. "It's all coming out of Bevelle."

Rikku shrugged. "That's what Father says."

"Bevelle?" Tidus scoffed. "Aw, come on. Everybody in Bevelle is, well, _gone._"

"Only maesters gone," Kimahri rumbled. "Temple priests still there."

A very pregnant pause followed, as everyone contemplated the sort of person who might fill the newly created power vacuum. After several completely silent moments, Auron stepped into the middle of the room, peering at the motley crew over his glasses.

"The boy has a point," he said, nodding in Tidus' direction. 

"I do?"

"Yevon was in chaos before our assault on Sin," Auron continued, ignoring Tidus' surprised query. "That chaos was a direct result of _our_ actions. I suggest we start trying to 'win people over' before they decide to take matters into their own hands."

"Wait a minute," Wakka exclaimed. "You want us to go walkin' into Bevelle—"

"Which we're pretty much banned from," Rikku reminded them helpfully.

"—and say, 'Sorry 'bout dat, you wanna be friends?'" Wakka shook his head. "I don't wanna get lynched, ya?"

"Who's gonna lynch us?" Rikku shot back. "The people who tried to kill us are all dead, and we already know we can kick those wimpy warrior monks' butts—sorry, Auron," she added hastily. "Besides, if we're in disguise, nobody'll ever know it's us. Why are you all staring at me?"

"Because," Lulu replied evenly, "we all know how foolish it would be to sneak into Bevelle…together."

Auron inclined his head in her direction, indictating agreement. Tidus let out a small, discreet snort. That was just what they needed, _two_ people who thought like Auron.

"Agreed," the swordsman said. "We split into groups and spread out across Spira."

"That's a lame idea!" Tidus blurted out. "Haven't you heard the phrase, 'There's strength in numbers'?"

"_Think_, Tidus," Lulu said impatiently. "If we're all together, we'll be much easier to find. If we split up, we'll accomplish more in less time, and we'll be far less noticeable."

Oh. Well, that made sense, he supposed.

"So we're gonna run around Spira and try to drum up support for…?" Rikku stared fixedly at Tidus and Auron, her voice trailing off deliberately.

"Another assault on Sin," Auron responded calmly, as if such a thing happened every day. "Rikku—"

"Go to the Al Bhed, right?"

Surprisingly, Auron shook his head. "You'll be with Tidus and me."

"Whaaaa…?"

"Lulu, Wakka," Auron continued, seemingly unaware of Rikku's discomfort, "return to Besaid. The priests there know you. Perhaps they'll listen. Kimahri, would the remaining Ronso be willing to fight?"

Kimahri nodded once. "Ronso fight to the death."

"So Lulu and Wakka are going to Besaid, and Kimahri's going to Mt. Gagazet," Tidus summarized, counting the people on his fingers. "What about you and Rikku and me?"

Auron gazed coolly at him. "We return to Bevelle."

Tidus moaned softly. The belly of the beast. Literally. And they were taking poor Rikku with them.

"How we gonna stay in touch wit' each other?" Wakka asked suddenly. "I mean, we can't send messengers if we're always movin', can we?"

Everyone's heads swiveled toward Rikku, the resident machina expert. She shrugged.

"I'm sure we've got stuff for long-range communication," she said, still glaring evilly at Auron. "I'll ask Father."

"Hey! I'll go with you!" Tidus declared, feeling a sudden need to get out of this room.

"Are you sure that's wise?" Lulu wondered. "Your last meeting with Cid didn't go well."

"Oh…I'm sure he's gotten over that." Tidus grinned at Rikku. "Right?"

"Umm…yeah, of course." She grabbed his arm and pulled him toward the door. "Come on! Let's find out."

* * * *

"You're going WHERE?"

"Bevelle. You know."

"Yeah, I know," Cid growled, eyeing Tidus suspiciously. "Taking my niece into Bevelle…Was that your idea, boy?"

"No, it was Auron's," Tidus shot back, peeved. Why did everyone insist on calling him _boy?_

Cid muttered something under his breath. Something about ripping Auron a new one, Tidus didn't want to imagine what. Then he sighed.

"Well, you'd better get some kind of disguise together," he said. "Don't want you to get hurt."

"I know, Father. I told them the same thing. Oh," Rikku added, as if she'd just remembered, "do we have any little gadgets for communicating over really long distances? Like…oh, I don't know…all of Spira?"

Cid's eyebrows shot up, then immediately furrowed together. "Why? Y'all plannin' to separate?"

"Well, yeah." She told him the plan, and Cid's brows bunched up even more.

"Okay," he said slowly. "We oughtta be able to throw somethin' together. Gotta be somethin' on this ship, we still don't know what half this stuff is…just one problem, though."

"What's that?"

"The engine's busted. We ain't movin' until it's fixed." He looked at Tidus, a calculating gleam in his eyes. "Hey, you're from Sin's Zanarkand, bustin' at the seams with machina, right?"

"Uh," Tidus said rather dumbly. "Yeah, but that doesn't mean I know how to fix it, right?"

Cid thumped on a nearby computer panel. "Can you use one of these?"

"A computer?" Tidus eyed it doubtfully. "I guess. I mean, I'm okay with them, but—wait, you're not gonna make _me_ fix this thing, are you?"

"Hell no, boy! I already know you're no mechanic." He gave Tidus a solid thump on the shoulder. "See that just by lookin' at you. No, you just try to find some sort of useful information in there, some kind of building plans or somethin', and we'll do the rest." The Al Bhed leader leaned close to Tidus' ear, adding in a conspiratorial whisper, "And then we'll have us a little chat."

Tidus gulped. "What kind of—"

But Cid was already out the door, running off to shout orders to some other poor unsuspecting sod. Tidus looked at the panel with an enormous sense of hopelessness, wondering how he was supposed to find anything in this thing when he couldn't even understand the characters on the screen. _Crap,_ he thought, _this is gonna take a while._

"Hey, Rikku…?"

She grinned. "Don't worry. I'll just tell the others to go on ahead." And, with a cheery wink, she disappeared.

Tidus watched her leave, then looked at the computer panel again. It was a computer, he told himself, an innocent computer. Surely he could figure out how to operate it. Well, he _had_ to do that, or Cid would probably rip him a new one, too. Perhaps he should have told the man that all he'd ever done with computers was play games on them.

Or not.

He pulled up a chair and took another look at the characters on the monitor. Right. He still had no idea how to read them, and yet they looked so…_familiar._ It was almost as if he'd encountered this language before.

Shrugging the thoughts aside, he pressed a few random keys. To his amazement, a map of the airship popped up on the screen, with many areas labeled in that foreign-yet-familiar script. If nothing else, he could pick up a few key words. Or, better yet, perhaps he'd stumble upon some sort of translation program, like the ones he'd always used on his foreign language homework. A long shot, sure, but who knew where this thing had been before the Al Bhed found it? Maybe it did speak their language, it just didn't know it yet.

For the first time in days, Tidus felt almost optimistic. He liked a good challenge. A nice, rough game of blitzball would have been better, but at least now he had something to keep his thoughts off Sin, off his father…and off _her._ With his best game face on, Tidus settled himself in and got to work. 

* * *

Ah, 1700 words. I'm getting better!

To answer the question I'm sure somebody will ask, yes, there will be lots of Dona and Isaaru before too much longer, and eventual pairing of people. Hehehehe. Don't worry, though. I'm not a lemon writer. ^_^ 

Thanks to reviewers:

Rin,

Noacat,

The Angel of the Lion (twice!),

FishOutOfWater,

ThingBling,

FF Fanatic,

Star,

RocketGurl,

Evrae Altana, and

Any missed newbies. Hi. :-)


	5. Dreams and Mysteries

FFX. Still don't own it. That goes without saying, so I see no need to continue saying it, ya? ^_~

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Final Fantasy X: Apocalypse

Chapter 5: Dreams and Mysteries

Tidus stretched, wincing as joints he'd taken for granted popped and crackled. The chair he was occupying had started out extremely comfortable, but after four or five hours of uninterrupted sitting—not so pleasant. His backside seemed to have been permanently fixed to the seat.

He stood up and paced the small room, carefully analyzing the progress he'd made thus far. He'd spent a good three hours just pressing buttons, figuring out how to navigate the computer's operating system. Once he'd got the hang of it, by luck or divine intervention, he had actually managed to find the ship's blueprints. Now Cid, Rikku, Brother, and a hastily assembled crew of engineers were piled into the engine room, trying to use the drawings to put the engine back together. Problem was, the Al Bhed couldn't read the notes any better than he could, which led right back to the original dilemma.

With a grunt, Tidus flopped down on a nearby sofa and closed his eyes. Now he knew exactly why he'd chosen to become an athlete rather than an academic. This stuff required serious brainpower. Not that he was stupid--he had enough book smarts to get him through his classes in school. Most of them. Not foreign languages. Not the maths. Oh well…

~*~

__

It was sort of dark. No, not really dark. More like…foggy. Yeah, that's what it was: a thick, heavy fog that covered everything and made it hard to see clearly. Tidus decided he liked the effect. It was weird and gloomy, just like his mood. And surreal. Yes, that was a good word for it.

He started to walk, even though he wasn't really sure where he was going. Was he walking? Was he floating? It was hard to make out the shapes of the buildings, the fog coming off the sea was so…

His thoughts drifted away as he found himself moving torward the sea. A small voice in his head told him that this wasn't normal, that maybe he shouldn't be traipsing down there where he couldn't see, but for some reason he had no control over his legs. He gave a mental shrug and allowed his legs to carry him down the walkway, straight to the end of the wharf--

Suddenly, quite unexpectedly, the eerie calm of the dreamscape gave way to chaos. The sea shone blood-red under the blazing sun, the deserted shoreline now crowded with soldiers, sophisticated machina weaponry, and…summoners with their aeons? He'd never seen so many in one place, he'd never seen them fight so fiercely, and yet they still seemed to be losing. All these aeons, those seemingly unstoppable dreams-given-flesh, could not stand against the enemy's machina weapons. Whatever war these people were fighting, they were definitely losing, and they were doing so spectacularly.

Tidus stared in mixed horror and fascination as the battle unfolded below him. He started to walk forward, only to realize there was nothing before him but open air. Startled and more than a little frightened, he stumbled backward, falling hard on solid concrete. What the hell was going on here?

"It began here."

He spun to his right, stunned to see Bahamut's child-figure standing beside him. Unable to articulate a complete thought, Tidus sputtered, "What--you're here--where--the hell?"

"It began here," the boy repeated patiently.

"That's what Auron said when I was getting sucked out of Zanarkand," Tidus shot back.

"He was partially correct. Spira's cycle of death began when Sin destroyed Zanarkand. But this…" Bahamut motioned toward the battleground. "This is Spira's Zanarkand. This is Sin's birthplace."

Tidus gaped at him. "This is the real Zanarkand? Spira's Zanarkand?"

"Yes. The first fayth were born here a thousand years ago."

Tidus scratched his head. "I--I don't understand. What does this have to do with--"

"The answers lie here."

~*~ 

Tidus leaped off the sofa, shaking so hard he could barely stay upright. He took a deep breath, trying to steady himself..

"It was a dream," he told himself unconvincingly, "a dream, that's all…"

__

"What's just a dream?"

Tidus looked about wildly. "Who's there?"

__

"It's me, Rikku. Look at your computer!"

He did so, grinning sheepishly at Rikku's image. "Nice trick. How'd you do that?"

__

"By accident. What was just a dream?"

With a sigh, Tidus sat in front of the screen and told Rikku about the dream he'd just had. She just stared at him, her emerald-green eyes getting wider and wider, until he was afraid they'd pop right out of their sockets.

__

"Whoa," she said at last, after he'd finished his tale. _"Does that mean we have to go to Zanarkand again?"_

"Probably."

__

"Tysh ed. I hate that place worse than Bevelle."

"Yeah, I know what you mean." He pasted a blatantly fake I'm-not-worried expression on his face, desperate to change the subject. "So, uh…how are the repairs going? Can you guys make any sense out of those schematics?"

__

"Oh, yeah! Father thinks we'll have the ship up and running in a week, maybe less. We're working on those communication devices, too."

"Good." Tidus leaned back in his chair and stared up at the ceiling, his hands resting behind his head. "The sooner we sort this mess out, the better."

* * * *

Out in the corridor, Lulu was thinking similar thoughts. Yes, she realized the engines were damaged. No, flying the thing straight into Sin's gaping mouth probably wasn't a wise decision in terms of airship safety. She was hardly a "mechanic," as the Al Bhed called the people who worked on machina, but she was no fool. Unfortunately, her common sense was being overtaken by her need to get back on the road. She, like Tidus, wanted to _do_ something.

She swept around the corner and nearly crashed into Kimahri, who was cruising around the corner with his Spirit Lance in hand. Lulu blinked in surprise.

"Going somewhere?"

"Kimahri wait no more. Go see Ronso now."

Lulu frowned. "That's a week's journey on foot, and the fiends are strong. Are you sure you don't want to wait?"

"Repairs take too long. Kimahri leave now." He inclined his head to her, then turned to leave.

"Kimahri, wait!"

Lulu and Kimahri turned to see Rikku racing down the corridor. She skidded to a stop, grinning cheerfully.

"I was heading this way, and I wasn't eavesdropping, I really wasn't, but I couldn't help overhearing--"

"Rikku," Lulu prodded.

"Sorry." Rikku bounced up onto her tiptoes and looked way, way up at Kimahri. "It'll only take another week or so to get the airship back in action. Are you sure you don't wanna wait for us?"

Kimahri grunted softly, his version of _No, thank you._ "Kimahri prefer action."

Rikku looked as though she wanted to argue, but she refrained. Apparently, she had realized what the rest of the group already knew: when Kimahri decided it was time for action, there was no stopping him.

With a small smirk, Lulu turned and started back down the corridor. Rikku squealed and ran after her.

"Hey, Lulu! Where are you going?"

"I'm going to find Wakka, and we're going to go to Besaid."

"Well, will you at least go see my father first? He's got these…things…so we can get in touch with each other. Machina things," she added, anticipating Lulu's next question.

Lulu sighed. "Where is he?"

Rikku led her to the engine room, where the rest of the group (minus Kimahri) had assembled. Cid was holding up a small rectangular device with a lot of buttons and a tiny little screen.

"…and each one has its own unique frequency," he was saying. "All you gotta do is enter the frequency, like this--"

Wakka leaped up in the air, an expression of surprise on his face. "Hey, it vibrates! Wish you'd warned me, brudda."

Cid shrugged. "Yeah, well, it's supposed to make some kind of sound when a call comes in, but damned if we could figure that out. Besides, the vibrate feature's better when you're out sneakin' around. Nobody'll hear it vibrate."

"So what exactly _are _they?" Lulu asked. "And where did they come from?"

"It's a phone. Al Bhed've been using 'em for centuries. We managed to get just a few of these beauties out of Home before it was destroyed."

"I'm assuming you gave one to Kimahri before he left," Auron said in what was, for him, a very polite and neutral tone.

"Yeah, ran into the big oaf a few minutes ago. He's covered." Cid folded his arms over his chest. "Thought we had enough for everybody, but it turns out we only had five. Kimahri's got one, Lulu and Wakka get one, and Tidus, Rikku, and Tough Guy get two, because there's three of 'em." He narrowed his eyes threateningly. "And if you break 'em, you're just outta luck, because we need the last one to figure out how to build the damn things. Lost the plans in the explosion."

"We'll guard them with our lives," Tidus declared with a smirk.

"Oh, yeah?" Cid raised his eyebrows. "What're you gonna do, _dream_ them to safety?"

"Huh?" Tidus stared at Cid, nonplussed. "How'd you know about that?"

"I was in the room when you were talking to Rikku, you idiot. Don't you think you oughtta tell your friends about that dream?"

"What dream?" Auron asked sharply.

Tidus shot an irritated glance at Rikku, who smiled apologetically. Lulu had the impression that he'd told the story once and wasn't thrilled to tell it again. Nevertheless, he proceeded to describe a dream Lulu would have dismissed as purest fiction coming from anyone else. But the thinly veiled concern in Cid's and Auron's eyes, along with the fact that Tidus had communicated with the Fayth through dreams on previous occasions--not to mention his _being_ a dream of the Fayth--told Lulu that this wasn't something to be taken lightly. Auron's next words confirmed this.

"We'll have to change our plans," he announced. "Rikku, contact Kimahri and tell him to wait for us."

"We're going to Zanarkand instead of Bevelle?"

"Yes."

With a quick sigh of relief, Rikku ran off to call Kimahri. Auron turned to Wakka and Lulu.

"Spend some time in Bevelle before you go to Besaid," he instructed. "Find out what's going on in the temples, and see if you can find any supporters."

Lulu nodded once and looked at Wakka, her eyebrows raised. Wakka grinned, and she turned away, rolling her eyes exaggeratedly. Truth be told, she actually found his behavior endearing. Not that she would willingly admit it to him…Auron's voice interrupted her thoughts.

"It's late," the warrior monk said shortly. "We should rest now. We leave in the morning."

Lulu watched him march out of the room, then frowned severely at Wakka. He gave her a playful and slightly flirtatious grin.

"So, Lu, in the morning…your place or mine?"

"Mine, of course." And she walked away with a smile on her face, anticipating many more opportunities to make the poor boy blush.

* * *

Sorry 'bout the late update! I had knee surgery, which really messed up my writing schedule. But fear not! Yunalesca78 is back, and we're getting into some action with the plot. ^_^

Al Bhed translation:

__

Vydran--father (not in this chapter, but occurs frequently)

__

Tysh ed--damn it (pardon my Al Bhed ^_~)

Thanks to the reviewers:

Refugee, Pierson, and Rin (my fellow Coven members--booyaka!)

Noacat

Vincent Kinneas

FF Fanatic

Star

The Angel of the Lion

Sakura

RocketGurl

Sephira

Mugen

The Fallen Summoner

All the Accidental Conqueror reviewers. Glad you liked! It was a blast to write. E-mail any member of the Coven (Refugee, Pierson, Rin, or me), and we'll send you a challenge of your own. =)

Also those who've wished me well with my surgery. Hugs!

This story has taken on a life of its own already. One chapter, thirteen reviews! *swoons* Love and hugs to all of you, and I promise you won't have to wait as long for Chapter 6. Thanks for staying with me, and welcome to the new readers. =)


	6. Old Rivals

The saga continues at last…

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Final Fantasy X: Apocalypse

Chapter 6: Old Rivals

Lulu fingered her newly restyled hair, thoroughly disgruntled. With Rikku's supposedly kind assistance, she'd managed to pull her hair—_all _of her hair—into a single long braid that stretched all the way down to her waist. She did not like this arrangement. Yes, it was nice to have it all out of her eyes, but that braid was heavy. It hurt. And her famous dreadlocks had been straightened out. She missed them. She missed her hair sticks. All she had now was a few elastic bands and more small metal clips than she could count. And a headache.

She'd been forced to change her clothes, too, on the premise that her belt-o'-skirts was just too distinctive. She now sported a loose-fitting dress of a style popular in Bevelle, and she had to admit, it was far more comfortable than what she usually wore. Plus, people no longer stared at her chest when she walked by. That was definitely good. She decided she could live with her new attire, at least for a while.

Wakka wasn't so pleased with his change of dress. He looked endearingly out of place in his trousers, tunic, and jacket, and he seemed to be having trouble walking in the heavy boots he was wearing. He kept reaching up to pat his hair, which had been flattened out and tamed into a less flamboyant style. He straightened out his jacket, clearly flustered.

"I don't think I like my disguise, Lu."

She tried unsuccessfully to hide her smirk. "We only have to wear them while we're in Bevelle."

"Which won't be long, thank Yevon or whoever…" He eyed her dress. "Hey, where'd you put the phone?"

"In my pocket," she replied innocently.

"Okay," he replied doubtfully, not realizing that the pocket in question was hidden between the two layers of the dress. "Well, let's get goin', ya?"

This time she made no attempt to hide the smirk. "You first."

Wakka rolled up his sleeves and took the lead, gamely striding up the path toward Bevelle. It wasn't long before they were stopped by a guard.

"Halt!" the man ordered, brandishing his rifle. "This road is closed. No traffic into or out of Bevelle."

Lulu peered at Wakka, her eyebrow raised. Flashing the guard a winning smile, he stepped forward and launched into a most convincing story about how he and his wife had gone away on travel shortly after the "incident" involving Lady Yuna's party and now simply needed to return home. He even produced a very authentic-looking proof of residence, which had been expertly forged by Rikku and Brother--not that the guard needed to know that last bit. Miraculously, the man was satisfied, and he let them pass.

"I'm good, ya?" Wakka boasted as soon as they were out of earshot. Lulu rolled her eyes and shook her head a couple of times, but to be honest, she was rather impressed. Wakka's gift of gab was extremely handy at times.

"You've managed to impress me," she said at last. "Now we need to go to the temple."

"You think they'll let us in there?"

Lulu shrugged. "They aren't allowing anyone from outside the city to enter the temple…but they think we're residents. They'll let us in. Now, shall we?"

She marched on down the road, Wakka following closely behind her. They walked into Bevelle proper as casually as they could, blending neatly into the flow of traffic on the streets. With a calm she didn't quite feel, Lulu led the way to the temple, which, surprisingly enough, was unguarded. The two of them glanced at each other, took deep breaths, and entered the temple.

Except for a handful of people praying before previous summoners' statues, the place seemed to be deserted. There was only one monk in the room, and he was standing before the entrance to the Cloister of Trials. The temple itself seemed much darker than it had been on her previous visits. Lulu shivered slightly, wondering whether it was the temple itself that gave her such a creepy feeling, or merely the fact that their visits tended to come under such undesirable circumstances.

While she pondered the atmosphere of the temple, Wakka meandered off to peek into the little rooms on either side of the doorway to the Cloister. When he came back, he looked slightly guilty, and his pockets seemed a bit fuller than before. Lulu raised her eyebrows.

"Stealing from the temple? Wakka, I'm _shocked._"

"There was a treasure chest with some potions in it. It wasn't locked, so I thought, sorry, brudda, but we probably need these more than—"

He stopped in mid-sentence as the temple doors swooshed open. Lulu watched with thinly veiled hostility as a man in long robes walked in, her eyes boring into his back as he turned to push the heavy doors shut. She toyed with the idea of readying an Ultima spell, just in case he recognized them and tried to call in the warrior monks. Then the man turned to face her, and her eyes widened in surprise.

__

"Isaaru?"

**************************************************

Dona rose and walked carefully out of the Chamber of the Fayth, swaying slightly. _Six hours,_ she thought. _Six hours proving myself to him…well, he _is_ the King of Dragons. It's only natural for him to be picky._

She chuckled softly to herself and nearly fell over. Barthello caught her, his grip surprisingly gentle for a man of his size. She'd always rather liked him, in a purely platonic way, of course. He was endearing. Oafish and of slightly substandard intelligence, but cute nonetheless.

"Are you okay, La—uh, Dona?"

"I'm perfectly fine," she lied, regaining her balance and pushing her hair out of her face. It wasn't exactly a lie, she told herself. A glass of water, something to eat, and she'd surely be as good as new.

She walked casually out of the Cloister, unable to hide a small smile as the moving platform took her and her guardian straight to the exit. If only it was that easy to get through the trials…She pushed the door open and blinked.

"Well, hello, Isaaru. I've been looking for you."

"Truly? I seem to be quite popular these days." Isaaru indicated the two people standing next to him. "I'm sure you remember Lulu and Wakka?"

Dona's perfectly shaped eyebrows rose as she studied Isaaru's companions. Their disguises were clever enough, but Wakka's flaming red hair and Lulu's crimson eyes would be next to impossible to hide. She inclined her head, seeing no point in performing the prayer, as none of them followed Yevon's teachings any longer.

"This is a surprise," she commented. "How did you ever get in? The roads are blocked."

Wakka grinned and produced the false papers he had shown the guard. "We've still got a few tricks up our sleeves, ya? Besides, those guards, they ain't the sharpest weapons in the—_ow!"_

Lulu had elbowed him sharply in the ribs. Glancing sideways at him, she said, "As he was saying, we forged identity documents and simply walked into the city."

"How do you intend to get out?" Isaaru asked. "Even citizens cannot simply leave."

"We'll find a way when the time comes," Lulu replied.

"Of course you will. Anyone who can escape the Via Purifico shouldn't have any trouble sneaking out of a mere city." With a hint of a smile, he added, "Or those who swore to take down Sin forever. Could you tell me what happened?"

Lulu inclined her head. "Of course, but can we go someplace less…public?"

"Of course. Come, we'll go to my private rooms."

The four of them followed Isaaru into a section of the temple none of them had seen before. Wakka whistled when he saw the lush interior of the summoner's quarters.

"Wow…they make you a maester or somethin', brudda?"

Isaaru laughed softly. "No, nothing of the sort. When I agreed to serve as Bevelle's guardian, the maesters felt that I should be given accomodations 'equal to my status.'" He motioned toward the chairs that were arranged haphazardly around the room, and his four guests piled into them. "Now, will you share your story with us?"

************************************************

It took almost two hours for Lulu and Wakka to tell their story, mainly because Dona and Isaaru couldn't seem to resist the urge to interrupt and ask questions. Well, who could blame them? It was a fairly unbelievable story.

After a long silence, Dona finally asked, "But how did you get out of Sin? Are you…unsent?"

"No," Wakka replied, "I think Yuna used some kind of spell to get us out. I'm not sure what it was. We just sort of appeared on the airship."

"A teleport spell," Isaaru said, a thoughtful expression on his face.

"A what?"

"Teleport. It's an ancient magic which, when invoked, can move a person from one place to another instantaneously. However, it would take an extremely powerful white mage to cast that particular spell on a whole group of people."

"Perhaps Seymour did it?" Dona suggested.

Lulu shook her head. "No, he would have let the Final Aeon kill us all so we couldn't come back and kill him. Besides, the issue is not why we're still alive. The issue is, how are we going to defeat Sin when it comes back?"

"I'll help you, of course," Dona replied immediately, drawing surprised looks from everybody else. "Now, don't look so shocked. I'm continuing my pilgrimage anyway. I'll help you destroy this Yu Yevon…thing."

"As will I," Isaaru agreed. "That is, if you don't mind guarding two Summoners…?"

Lulu's eyebrows were creeping steadily toward her hairline. She wasn't sure why she was so surprised. Perhaps because Dona had tried to cause trouble by having Barthello push Tidus into the Cloister of Trials…or because Isaaru had once tried to kill them all, under orders from the temple…but why look a gift chocobo in the mouth? She glanced over at Wakka, who looked positively ecstatic.

"All right!" the blitzer cheered, grinning goofily. "So all we have to do is go back down toward Besaid so they can get the rest of their aeons, ya?"

"Not quite. We still need to find out what's been going on here." Lulu gazed pointedly at Dona and Isaaru. "Perhaps you two can answer some of our questions."

Dona cocked her head slightly. "I know very little, I'm afraid. I only returned to the temple to acquire the aeon Bahamut. All I know is that the maesters are gone and the priests all seem to have disappeared."

"They haven't disappeared," Isaaru countered. "They're below."

"Below what?" Dona asked impatiently. She had very little patience for riddles.

"There's an enormous maze beneath the temple," Isaaru explained. "That, I believe, is where everybody has gathered--not just the priests of Bevelle, but priests from several other temples as well."

Dona frowned. "Why?"

"I suppose they're trying to figure out how to rebuild the Yevon religion. They've got their work cut out for them, I'd say. Without the Final Aeon, there is no reason for the pilgrimages." Isaaru looked at Lulu and Wakka, and a wry smile flickered across his features. "You'd do well to avoid them, I think."

"No kiddin'," Wakka commented. "But where are we gonna hide?"

"Right here," Dona said, catching on to Isaaru's idea. "In plain sight. After all, no one would _dare_ snoop around in a Summoner's private residence."

Isaaru nodded in her direction. "Precisely. Lulu, Wakka--I don't know how long you plan to stay, but I assure you, you'll be safe."

The two guardians nodded their thanks. For the first time, Dona noticed how tired they looked, as if they'd aged several years in the space of just a few months. Isaaru must have noticed the same thing, because he rose and offered to show them all to their sleeping quarters, herself and Barthello included. She waited until Lulu and Wakka were settled in; then she turned to her fellow Summoner.

"You do realize, of course, that this is a colossally foolish and potentially life-threatening thing to do."

"The thought has crossed my mind, yes." Isaaru raised his eyebrows. "Surely you're not having second thoughts already?"

"Of course not!"

Again, that tiny smile danced across his face, and Dona felt her cheeks flush. Embarrassed, but not wanting to show it. She turned away quickly and scuttled into her room, nearly tripping over her feet in her haste. She could hear Isaaru's soft laughter as she zoomed into the changing room. Here he was, flirting with her, and she was blushing and tripping over herself like a child with a crush on her teacher. And the worst part was, they had to go all the way to Besaid together.

This was going to be a long and bizarre journey.

* * *

GAH! Three weeks! I hate writer's block. I also hate when FF.net goes down. -_-;

Anyway, thanks to all my reviewers:

Refugee

Rin

Vincent Kinneas

Noacat

RocketGurl

FF Fanatic

Mugen

SoccerChick88 (lovely flowers, btw ^_~)

The Angel of the Lion

Sephira


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